Holster holder



B. F. CROSS HOLSTER HOLDER June 26, 1934.

Filed Nov. ll, 1930 *MCS ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention aims to provide for the mounting of a pistol or similar Weapon for the protective use of guards in an automobile. It involves such arrangement as to make the firearm more readily accessible to the driver of an automobile, such as an armored car or any motor car liable to hold-up, and more particularly provides for the quick arming of the driver or his attendant guard, to repel attack, without necessitating movements that would cause suspicion of the bandit and lead to an advantage to the bandit. For example, heretofore in the event of an attack a driver must reach to his side to draw his pistol attached to his belt, or otherwise in a position that is apt to draw the rire of the attacker before the guard can handle his weapon effectively for defense.

To give the guard in an automobile a far better chance to meet such emergency, I provide for the support of the holster for his Weapon on the gear-shift rod, or in such a position, as on the emergency-brake lever, or in some cases it may be on the steering pillar,-so that a normal movement of the driver in stopping his car enables him to put his hand on his Weapon without a moments delay, and without necessitating the suspicion of the bandit that the guard is attempting to draw weapon. On the practice of my invention it Will thus be seen that greater protection is afforded to the legal guards of motor cars carrying valuables, or for any transportation of persons, express or other cargoes requiring protection against the emergency attacks or holdup robbery, or the like,

To this end I provide for the support of a holster instantly accessible to the driver through a normal movement of his hand in the operation of' the car, and, furthermore, provide for the quick dismounting of the holster so that it may be placed on the wearers belt or pocket, when the driver leaves his seat. This involves a simple mounting on gear-shift lever or the like, with a complementary means secured to the holster which can be quickly clamped into the desired position, and quickly removed. In turn, the purposes of my invention result from a readily attachable and detachable clamping means on holster and on the desired part of the car, which at the same time will in no case interfere with the other normal uses of the holster, the quick drawing of the weapon from the holster and its quick replacement.

Particular forms of structure to accomplish the purpose of my invention Will be hereinafter specically described, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. I is a longitudinal vertical section of a fragmentary portion of a motor car, showing one embodiment of my invention in a Way to illustrate its use.

Fig. II is an elevation of a holster equipped for attachment, and in position to be attached to a member such as a gear-shift lever.

Fig. III is a cross-section of the clamping means of holster and bracket, as shown on the line III-III of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of the clamping member attached to a holster on the enlarged scale, as shown in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a side elevation of a holster equipped with a modified form of attaching and supporting means.

Fig. VI is a horizontal cross-section, part fragmentary, on a larger scale, of the complementary parts of the modified holding means of Fig. V, in position for the attachment of the holster to the supporting part of the car.

In Fig. I there is shown a gear-shift lever a with an occupant of the drivers seat in a position illustrating the accessibility of his hand to the holster attached to the gear-shift lever. It also illustrates the ready accessibility of a similar location for the attachment of the holster to an emergency brake lever b, or steering pillar c, While his normal operation of a pedal, such as brake or clutch pedal, and the actuation of the steering wheel are involved in the handling of the car in the case of an emergency stop, so that in any of the stated positions the holster l is immediately accessible Without any unusual motion on the part of the driver or occupant of the drivers seat.

'Ihe holster 1 is equipped with a clamping means 2, which as illustrated in Fig. IV may have prongs 2a, or any other suitable means to permanently attach it to the material, such as leather, of the holster, Without interfering with the proper functions and character of the holster, such as leaving a flush interior. This bracket 2 can be readily made out of a stamping of thin sheet metal, with the ends 3 turned over, and having depressions 3a for slip-engagement with members of the complementary parts of the bracket 4 attached to the gear-shift lever a, or like part. This bracket 4, in the particular form shown, has two arms 5 outstanding from the gear-shift lever when the bracket is clamped by the straps 6 6 and bolts 6a, to rigidly hold it in the desired position on the gear-shift lever, or

'Lil

like part. In each bracket arm the hole 5a, or suitable depression provides a snap locking means for the part 3a of the clamp 2 attached to the holster. Thus, the holster clamp 2 forms a complementary quick attaching and detaching means with the bracket 4, by pushing the clamp onto the arms 5 of the bracket, until the depressions 3u snap into the recesses 5a,-whereupon the holster with its contents are rigidly supported on the gear-shift lever, or like part, and held rmly in the predetermined position for the desired accessibility. Such clamping means permit ready release simply by pulling the holster away, and if necessary a slight release by lifting the upturned ends 3b of the clamp part assures release under any circumstances.

This clamping and bracket means involve simple stamped sheet metal members which can be cheaply made, and with parts adapted to fit any desired lever or rod support in any car, by having the strap members 6-6 of the desired proportions, and thus provided a. clamp and bracket to accomplish the objects of my invention, which is universal in its adaptation, that is, to the eX- tent of the article as a whole being readily applicable to any gear-shift lever, or like part on which it is desired to support the Weapon. It also permits supporting the holster on any position of the lever, steering pillar or the like, to

suit the particular driver, or to adjust it up and down into the most convenient position for each individual occupant of the car desiring to use the invention.

In the modiiied form shown in Figs. V and VI, the holster la has snap sockets 7-7 riveted into the holster leather in position to accommodate two complementary snap buttons on a strap 9, suitably made for clamping around the gearshift lever a of the varying sizes. The straps 9 may be interconnected as in the bracket 4, in order that they may be uniformly held spaced apart and in registering position to always engage the snap socket 7 7, which are fastened, such as by riveting, in a permanent position on the side of the holster. Close to the snap button 8 the strap 9 hay have llers 10 of suitable lever or the like, as to material to assure the proper support of the snap button 8 on a round or irregular rod, and these fillers may be rubber or like material to provide the slight yielding necessary to tightly secure the clamps, and also to prevent slipping of the clamps on the gear-shift lever or the like.

In this modified form, the snap sockets riveted to the leather of the holster la, may be secured in the usual form which assures a watertight union of the metal member with the leather, and still the proportions of such a snap or snap fastener are such that it is substantially Iiush to the interior of the holster leather, although, if desired, a lining l1 may be put on the inside in order to prevent any metal contact of the snap socket that might otherwise scratch or mar the weapon.

It will be appreciated that the specic constructions herein shown provide means for serving the purpose of my invention. In particular, they provide for quickly snapping a holster with its pistol into a secure and xed position whereby the Weapon can be withdrawn, while the holster remains so securely attached, to a gear-shift provide the facility requisite for quick withdrawal. It also provides for withdrawing the holster from its position in the motor car and putting the holster on a belt, or

Y in any usual way that the guard may desire for normal carrying of the Weapon when not in the motor car. The normal way of attaching the holster to a belt, and the flap to secure the weapon in the holster temporarily are shown in the drawing and need no specic description. In the illustration Fig. I, it will be understood that there are innumerable designs of armored cars, express trucks and various other types of motor car in which the use of my invention may apply, and that only one typical of cross-section serves to illustrate the particular features involved in my invention.

While providing for support of the holster and securing the advantages involved in my invention there may be many variations for simplicity or construction and economy, or modications for other adaptations to meet the requirements of the invention, and therefore the particular forms in which my invention is embodied as herein shown and described, are subject to changes in every way with respect to arrangement, dimensions and other features of construction, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A holster support of the character described, having a single bracket blade, a holster plate having two spring leaves, said leaves and plate adapted to frictionally engage said blade, one of said spring leaves on the plate having a projection, and a recess on the bracket blade adapted to engage said projection and eifect spring engagement.

2. A holster holder comprising a plate adapted to lie iiat against the side of a holster, a staple affording a smooth head on the inside of the holster side and fastening the plate on the outside of the holster side, a spring clip on said plate, a bracket having a rigid member adapted to engage said spring clip on the holster plate including spring responsive frictionally engaging parts to rmly retain the holster and weapon on the bracket when mounted under normal conditions of weight and jarring, said spring responsive parts formed in a manner whereby slight manual eifort applied to the holster will readily detach the holster from its support.

3. A holster holder consisting of two stamped metal members including a bent sheet metal bracket one part of which projects as a supporting blade, a holster supporting stamped metal plate formed with bent over-lapping portions to constitute spring clips for the engagement of the blade member and interengaging integrallyformed positioning and frictionally-holding projections and recesses on the blade and clips.

4. A holster support of the character described having a xed support bracket member, a blade on said bracket, a single holster plate member, integral spring-leaf portions on said plate cooperating to frictionally hold said blade and a notch on one member, and an engaging projection on the other member providing a frictional interlocking fixed engagement upon attaching the holster to the support and which engagement is readily detachable on pulling the holster.

5. A readily detachable holster support comprising a bracket and means for securing the same to a rigid support, a plate permanently attachable to the outer surface of a holster side, a member on said bracket and a member on said plate readily engageable with and separable from each other including a blade and leaf-spring clips, positioning and temporary engaging locking means between said blade and plate com-- ster and contained Weapon, having a ixed support bracket member, a single holster plate member, said two members having a cooperating blade and spring-leaf socket portions to frictionally hold the holster on the bracket, a notch on one of said frictionally engaging portions coacting With a projection on the other portion providing a frictional interlocking xed engagement upon attaching the holster, and which engagement is readily detachable on pulling the holster.

B. FRANKLIN CROSS` 

